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Are there any snow removal options besides a snowblower? I was looking at costs for a heated driveway and that's way more than my budget, but I also have a lovely steep north facing driveway that is a pain in the rear end. I found some electric mats for the walk way, but nothing similar for the driveway itself. Do such things exist?
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Dec 9, 2020 23:40
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The Slack Lagoon posted:Do washing machine drain hose extensions work or is that just asking for a leak? How long do you need it?
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Dec 9, 2020 23:48
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Mulloy posted:Are there any snow removal options besides a snowblower? I was looking at costs for a heated driveway and that's way more than my budget, but I also have a lovely steep north facing driveway that is a pain in the rear end. I found some electric mats for the walk way, but nothing similar for the driveway itself. Do such things exist? If you can't afford to INSTALL a heated driveway I assure you that you can not afford to RUN one either, and that would include whatever temporary mats, etc you might be able to find.
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Dec 9, 2020 23:58
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Motronic posted:If you can't afford to INSTALL a heated driveway I assure you that you can not afford to RUN one either, and that would include whatever temporary mats, etc you might be able to find. I've managed to avoid installing heated exterior slabs for years and finally got a client this year that just won't be dissuaded. The boiler running the heated slabs is significantly larger than the boiler used to heat the house.
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Dec 10, 2020 00:05
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Motronic posted:If you can't afford to INSTALL a heated driveway I assure you that you can not afford to RUN one either, and that would include whatever temporary mats, etc you might be able to find. I had not considered the maintenance cost on the mats - is there a way to figure out what the costs would be? I could handle my walkway with two of the 5' ones. I'll probably end up just getting a snow blower but I figured I'd see if something similar to walkway mats for the driveway itself.
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Dec 10, 2020 00:44
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Fwiw the SnowJoe electric snowblower hugely exceeded my (admittedly modest) expectations. It's a bit annoying continually managing the extension cord but it handled Denver winters just fine and is a drat sight easier to move around and use than a gas powered snowblower. They're pretty cheap too. I think I got the midrange model, around $130ish.
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Dec 10, 2020 01:19
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Mulloy posted:I had not considered the maintenance cost on the mats - is there a way to figure out what the costs would be? I mean, not really. You can figure out what wattage they pull when on and see just how painful it could be if they have to be on all the time, but they're not gonna be on all the time.....maybe. It depends on ground temp, air temp, obviously how long you leave them on. You're literally trying to heat the earth above freezing. Outside. Just think about that for a second.
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Dec 10, 2020 02:37
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I know salt is bad for concrete, but what about something like this beet juice stuff? Pretty sure something like that is what a lot of DOTs use https://www.amazon.com/FUSION-Liquid-Melter-sugar-juice/dp/B07DQVT1KX Legit curious if anyone has tried melter like that. Previously I've always just shoveled stuff since I didn't have a whole lot to do, but it'd be nice to have something that works well for ice.
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Dec 10, 2020 04:09
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Isn't quartzite safe for concrete?
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Dec 10, 2020 06:34
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OSU_Matthew posted:I know salt is bad for concrete, but what about something like this beet juice stuff? Pretty sure something like that is what a lot of DOTs use Its supposed to be hell on cars, but maybe if you're just parking on it instead of driving over it/ getting misted by it from other cars etc, maybe its not so bad then?
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Dec 10, 2020 12:30
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Motronic posted:If you can't afford to INSTALL a heated driveway I assure you that you can not afford to RUN one either, and that would include whatever temporary mats, etc you might be able to find. Yeah, I want to say that I figured iut once that of it snowed enough that I wouldn't just get out the plow shovel, it would cost something like fourteen bucks to melt with an in-asphalt electric system. Hydronic would be cheaper to operate, but the installation and maintenance costs were silly high. I think that was for partial length of my driveway but edge-to-edge, as opposed to just tire tracks.
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Dec 10, 2020 13:55
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3D Megadoodoo posted:How long do you need it? I think I might be ok - looks like the drain hose was super far down the standpipe so I should have enough hose for what I want to do
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Dec 10, 2020 14:58
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wesleywillis posted:Its supposed to be hell on cars, but maybe if you're just parking on it instead of driving over it/ getting misted by it from other cars etc, maybe its not so bad then? Really? I thought it was supposed to have some natural anti-corrosion properties, that it was the salt and brine that gets put on roads that absolutely knackers vehicles. I’m legit curious, so I read a quick article and I guess that the stuff DOTs use mixes a sticky bonding agent with some salt and beet juice, which would make sense for it being worse if it’s sticking and picking up road salt in the undercarriage. But the beet juice itself is pretty benign, right?
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Dec 10, 2020 16:05
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OSU_Matthew posted:Really? I thought it was supposed to have some natural anti-corrosion properties, that it was the salt and brine that gets put on roads that absolutely knackers vehicles. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kw2WsXIgO6A
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Dec 10, 2020 16:10
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OSU_Matthew posted:I know salt is bad for concrete, but what about something like this beet juice stuff? Pretty sure something like that is what a lot of DOTs use $33 a GALLON? That's more expensive than the beet juice for tractor tires, which is already overpriced. tetrapyloctomy posted:Yeah, I want to say that I figured iut once that of it snowed enough that I wouldn't just get out the plow shovel, it would cost something like fourteen bucks to melt with an in-asphalt electric system. Hydronic would be cheaper to operate, but the installation and maintenance costs were silly high. I think that was for partial length of my driveway but edge-to-edge, as opposed to just tire tracks. That sounds like a steal compared to the systems I've seen in the wild. Probably on longer driveways, or else your estimates are just optimistic. The one I'm most familiar with is on a 120 foot driveway, full across, and downs around 15 gallons of propane to heat in average "it's snowing" temperatures and hold for a few hours.
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Dec 10, 2020 16:16
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Hey folks, Our fridge has taken a bit of a turn overnight and was defrosting but seemed to turn itself back on every now and again - you'd see frost collecting at the very back and the outside side would be warm, then dying off again, going silent and the frost would start meting (but the light staying on so not total power loss). I've had a poke around at the back and it looks something like this, with a separate overload protection device on top, which goes to pin 3.  I forgot to "rattle" it when I had it out but I multimetered it and got some varying values including 25 ohms which is pretty close to correct, but also higher values like 80 ohms. I've reassembled and the fridge is currently behaving, so I'm not entirely sure if the problem is solved (I'm guessing not) or if the problem is actually the relay? My MM can't do capacitance testing so I can't really test that other than seeing if the resistance increases through it, or it could just be the whole compressor that's hosed. Would anyone be able to provide more insight or is it just a case of get the whole thing replaced?
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Dec 10, 2020 16:29
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Motronic posted:$33 a GALLON? That's more expensive than the beet juice for tractor tires, which is already overpriced. Oh yeah, that’s stupid expensive, was just the first example I found on the Googler. I’m sure there’s cheaper stuff out there, like this corn based de-icer for 10$ a gallon at rural king. I’m just curious what better solutions there are than salt that won’t damage concrete and corrode vehicles
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Dec 10, 2020 17:46
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The mason who just did stone work for me said sand or non-clumping unscented kitty litter.
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Dec 10, 2020 17:54
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OSU_Matthew posted:Really? I thought it was supposed to have some natural anti-corrosion properties, that it was the salt and brine that gets put on roads that absolutely knackers vehicles. I guess I don't know for sure but I always assumed that the beet juice was the same as the other ' anti-icing liquid' that most road authorities seem to use.
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Dec 10, 2020 18:24
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I've seen beet juice used in CT, doesn't seem bad for vehicles, but it seems like you have to get it on before the snow, it won't do anything once the snow starts.
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Dec 10, 2020 21:30
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I want to build some shelves next to our new stacked washer/dryer, but I'd like some advice on the best way to go about that. Free standing? Attach it to the wall? There will be wall on two sides of the shelves, and the washer/dryer on the last side. There is a stud on the left side of the power outlet. Poor MS paint of what I want to do. The white plywood is from a shelf the PO put in, but I had to take it out in order to fit the stacked washer/dryer 
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Dec 11, 2020 15:46
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The Slack Lagoon posted:I want to build some shelves next to our new stacked washer/dryer, but I'd like some advice on the best way to go about that. Free standing? Attach it to the wall? I would personally go with something free standing for whenever you have to move or replace the washer, so you can access the plug or put a different size unit in. Since it’s a utilitarian space, wire rack shelving would be good, especially since it would be strong enough to hold extra detergent and stuff
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Dec 11, 2020 16:08
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The simplest design I can think of for this would be: * Backing board that goes up against the wall, which can be screwed into studs for security. Honestly I'd recommend screwing into the wall even if you don't live in earthquake country; it's cheap peace of mind. * Two sidewalls that will support the shelves, which are glued + screwed into the backing board (through the back of the backing board into the edges of the walls) * Shelf rests installed on the side walls. These can be simply short lengths of wood screwed into the side walls, or you can get a shelf jig and those little metal pins if you want a shelf you can adjust after installation. * Shelves rest on the self rests  No fancy joinery, the only tools you need are a circular saw and a drill. Can be made entirely out of plywood. Things are slightly complicated by the existence of that outlet behind where you want the shelves to go. I think my recommendation for that would be to have the backing board not go all the way up, and to cut a sizable notch out of the left sidewall, big enough to admit the plug plus some maneuvering room. That way you should be able to unplug the washer/dryer without removing the shelves, if necessary. A jigsaw can cut the notch; so could an unpowered coping saw so long as you take your time (they're not really ideal for cutting through 3/4" lumber, but they can do it).
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Dec 11, 2020 16:11
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The furnace in our house isnt turning on again once it hits temperature. If I do a manual cycle it will kick on but we have been having trouble with the unit turning off after a couple minutes which originally was due to needing a filter replacement but now i have to take the filter out for it to hit temperature. Im not sure if its the pilot switch or the control board is an issue. The cold intake is clean and the vents are open and clear with a newer thermostat.
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Dec 11, 2020 21:20
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TurboFlamingChicken posted:The furnace in our house isnt turning on again once it hits temperature. If I do a manual cycle it will kick on but we have been having trouble with the unit turning off after a couple minutes which originally was due to needing a filter replacement but now i have to take the filter out for it to hit temperature. Im not sure if its the pilot switch or the control board is an issue. The cold intake is clean and the vents are open and clear with a newer thermostat. Since you haven't posted about this problem previously (or at all) in this thread you're going to have to provide a lot more detail than this. You should start with things like "I have a gas/oil/whatever furnace mad by <company>" and spend more time explaining this filter thing and what you mean by "a manual cycle".
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Dec 11, 2020 21:31
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I have a Weatherking Furnace I believe less than 10 years old, it is gas. It had an issue previously where it would only heat for a couple minutes and shut off which was due to needing a filter replacement. Now it heats fine but it wont answer a call for heat automatically. If I turn the thermostat off and on it will call for heat and work appropriately. I am unsure if it could be a contol board issue the thermostat is pretty new everything worked fine until this morning. The more I look at it the more I think it may need to just have the control board be replaced everything else on the furnace I think is functional Beefed Owl fucked around with this message at 21:50 on Dec 11, 2020 |
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Dec 11, 2020 21:47
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Thermostats are just on/off switches as far as the furnace is concerned. The most likely scenario here is a bad thermostat. If it's the kind that needs batteries it's probably that's all it needs.
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Dec 11, 2020 21:53
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TurboFlamingChicken posted:I have a Weatherking Furnace I believe less than 10 years old, it is gas. It had an issue previously where it would only heat for a couple minutes and shut off which was due to needing a filter replacement. Now it heats fine but it wont answer a call for heat automatically. If I turn the thermostat off and on it will call for heat and work appropriately. I am unsure if it could be a contol board issue the thermostat is pretty new everything worked fine until this morning. Do you hear a clear click for the call to heat from your thermostat? It's odd that a repeated call to heat wouldn't work, but "off/on" would - it's not like your thermostat has a steady state signal to the furnace while it's idle. Any error codes blinking on the furnace? Look up how to look that up, but I smell a bad thermostat. Try replacing the batteries?
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Dec 11, 2020 21:54
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Is there a GC thread or something for advice on replacing front doors? I have dumb 60" french front doors and the have awful 3/4 windows and exterior panels that have split everywhere and I'm feeling out of my depth on somethings, but I don't think needs to be as expensive as Anderson quoted ($7k to start).
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Dec 11, 2020 22:13
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Wasabi the J posted:Is there a GC thread or something for advice on replacing front doors? I have dumb 60" french front doors and the have awful 3/4 windows and exterior panels that have split everywhere and I'm feeling out of my depth on somethings, but I don't think needs to be as expensive as Anderson quoted ($7k to start). You're here. Post pictures.
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Dec 11, 2020 22:32
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H110Hawk posted:Do you hear a clear click for the call to heat from your thermostat? It's odd that a repeated call to heat wouldn't work, but "off/on" would - it's not like your thermostat has a steady state signal to the furnace while it's idle. Any error codes blinking on the furnace? Look up how to look that up, but I smell a bad thermostat. Try replacing the batteries? There are no error codes and we've gone through a couple thermostats already and are pretty sure it's not the issue because the furnace does work just fine in most cases so our guesses based on the research I've done to this point is that I should replace the pilot sensor at least and consider possibly the control board as well but in the meantime I can still get heat to the house if I need to so I guess I'm just going to start with that
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Dec 11, 2020 23:11
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Also look at the flame sensor (but again that doesn't make a ton of sense. A pilot sensor senses that the pilot light is lit and heating the thermocouple and if not it kills the gas supply. You may also have a flame sensor thermocouple style sensor that will identify I'd the furnace is lit once it sends full gas to the burners so it's not just dumping gas into your house. It seems weird that it's not erroring and all you need to do is switch the thermostat off and kn and especially if you aren't doing something like powering the furnace on / off with it's mains switch. It may be in some kind of lockout mode and is ignoring the constant call for heat Edit: a test is once it fails to fire turn the thermostat down and back up to see if what it does and how it reacts. Does it spin up and try to fire and kick off after 10 seconds or so. Does it run for a bit the stop. Does it still just do nothing until you turn off the thermostat. This will help diagnose. It might be intermittent so stopping the heat call then starting it again works. (Look up to see how to see the error codes on your furnace and see if you're looking in the right place) (if yours has an error light) tater_salad fucked around with this message at 03:26 on Dec 12, 2020 |
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Dec 12, 2020 03:18
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Need to know a model number to go further beyond what others have suggested. But this is what we mean when we say "blink codes": https://chicagoheating-repair.com/weatherking-furnace-error-codes/ If you cannot get to the furnace and take a peak in the access window (normally there specifically to see the blink codes if it's "inside") then it's simply time to call a hvac person.
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Dec 12, 2020 05:20
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Installed a ceiling fan with a light today. It uses LED bulbs that it came with and has three brightness settings. On max bright there's an obvious flicker, most noticeable out of the corner of your eye. Reminds me of 60 hz CRT flicker. My mom doesn't see it but it's intolerable for me. Medium and low brightness are flicker-free. Any chance better lightbulbs will fix it?
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Dec 12, 2020 09:39
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regulargonzalez posted:Installed a ceiling fan with a light today. It uses LED bulbs that it came with and has three brightness settings. On max bright there's an obvious flicker, most noticeable out of the corner of your eye. Reminds me of 60 hz CRT flicker. My mom doesn't see it but it's intolerable for me. Medium and low brightness are flicker-free. Maybe. LED bulbs have a power supply inside since they run on DC power. It's possible the ones you got don't have a very good one and a better one would smooth out the rectified voltage better.
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Dec 12, 2020 12:21
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TurboFlamingChicken posted:There are no error codes and we've gone through a couple thermostats already What other important and relevant information do you have that you have not yet told us? Because this is going to get tiresome REALLY fast otherwise.
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Dec 12, 2020 15:33
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My basement is damp (not wet, but damp enough to grow white crystal mold -- possibly accumulated over time since the house is 95). As far as I can tell, it seems to be mostly just because it's a basement -- largely underground, has zero ventilation. There aren't any signs of walls that are especially wet or signs of drips from above. I would like to not grow more mold and enjoy being down there. Do I just pony up for a dehumidifier with drain hose sized for the space? Would adding fans to move the air help? Right now the only residents of my space down there are the boiler, hot water heater, washer and dryer. (note: no AC unit which I think some DIY commenters solved their issues with)
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Dec 12, 2020 16:13
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ScamWhaleHolyGrail posted:My basement is damp (not wet, but damp enough to grow white crystal mold -- possibly accumulated over time since the house is 95). As far as I can tell, it seems to be mostly just because it's a basement -- largely underground, has zero ventilation. There aren't any signs of walls that are especially wet or signs of drips from above. I would like to not grow more mold and enjoy being down there. Airflow is good, and might even be sufficient. Dehumidifiers are good too, but you need the airflow if this is a large basement and only one dehumidifier. I'd go easy and cheap first (some small fans for airflow) and then step up to a dehumidifier. If you need a dehumidifier and can not drain it unto a sump pit or other existing thing down there and need to pump water up and out..........well, I've got some opinions about that and they begin and end with "ever goddamn dehumidifier with a pump fails. All the time." Fortunately there are other options.
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Dec 12, 2020 16:20
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 My Velux window seems to be leaking from the marked area, I'm guessing between the lead flashing and the metal frame around the window. I'm gonna test again with some water when it stops raining. As a fix, is there a product I can squirt in the gap that I can expect some durability from? I can't access the exact spot from inside. Or is this a 'the whole window has to come out first' thing. I've got the number of a roofer who'll do small jobs if necessary.
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Dec 12, 2020 21:31
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The Slack Lagoon posted:I want to build some shelves next to our new stacked washer/dryer, but I'd like some advice on the best way to go about that. Free standing? Attach it to the wall? The quickest shelving solution is going to be metal wire shelving. Metro is the big brand, there are a lot of vendors and if you want to look at it in person Container Store stocks it. If you want wall mount, also go to Container Store. Their Elfa system is simple and easy, and usually goes on sale in February like 30% off. If you want to go less expensive on wire shelving, Regency is a good second brand. Webstaurant Store stocks it online (it might be their house brand, I'm not sure) and their pricing is good. Shelving.com is also fine, but they have a few proprietary components which they've been phasing out (for a while they had a different bolt on their rolling caster than most other brands) so I've avoided them in the past. I buy a lot of wire shelving, in closet remodels we go for the Elfa and basement/garage work we go for the Regency. ScamWhaleHolyGrail posted:My basement is damp (not wet, but damp enough to grow white crystal mold -- possibly accumulated over time since the house is 95). As far as I can tell, it seems to be mostly just because it's a basement -- largely underground, has zero ventilation. There aren't any signs of walls that are especially wet or signs of drips from above. I would like to not grow more mold and enjoy being down there. Motronic is right about dehumidifiers, gravity drain is your friend. Your basement either needs to be part of your conditioned space, or part of the outside environment. Given what you've posted (appliances are down there, no talk of an insulated and air-sealed ceiling, etc.) your solutions will require you to make the space more like the rest of the house as opposed to making it more like the outside. Since you can afford to take it slow given it's a long term issue, you'll want to figure out how wet the concrete walls and floor of your basement are. You can do this by taping a piece of plastic (like, no smaller than 1x1 foot but it doesn't need to be huge) to the floor and wall and see over the next few months if any moisture accumulates between the concrete and the plastic. You preferably want something that's like 6mil thickness, but no harm seeing what you can find out with a ziploc bag cut open (3mil). Honestly though, it could literally just be your dryer leaking humid air into a basement with poor ventilation/heat. It doesn't take much. Post some pictures if you get a chance. Tezer fucked around with this message at 23:39 on Dec 12, 2020 |
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Dec 12, 2020 23:22
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